Clocking attachment for circular-knitting machines.



F, W. ROBINSON.

GLOGKING- ATTACHMENT FOR GIRGULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1912 LQHWWWWM Pawnted Dec. 9, 1 913.

1.2 a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TZZFE- F. W. ROBINSON.

CLOGKING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNJTINC MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2o,191:..

l C1 fi-% Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

3 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

ym/hummus F. W. ROBIN-30M.

cLocKme ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1912 Patented Dec. 9, 1913,

3 SHEETS-8HBET 3.

WWW,

F JEW TEE/i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. ROBINSON, F READING. PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO THE NOLDE & HORST 00., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR CIBCULAR-KNITTING 1VIACI-IINES.

Application filed May 20, 1912.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, FRANK Vi. Ronixsox,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Reading, in the count, of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Clocking Attachments for (ironlar-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circular knitting machines, and consists particularly in an improved mechanism attachable thereto for controlling the engagement of additional threads upon certain of the needles as re- 15quired to produce clock ornamentation upon the opposite sides of stockings.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and the novel features are clearly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved mechanism complete, indicating also its arrangement relative to the usual needle cylinder and cam cylinder; the section being "taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2.is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a separate sectional view of the combined cam rings; and Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively top and bottom views of the same. Fig. 6 is a separate sectional View of the inner nonrotatable ring, with its attached shaft brackets for carrying the adjustable stop mechanism; the removably secured bottom retaining-ring portion thereof being shown as slightly separated from the main portion. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively top and bot tom views of the main portion of said inner ring, and Fig. 9 is a top View of said removably secured retaining-ring portion thereof. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the cam-operated thread-carrier bars and spring-controlled arms; the bar-contacting faces of the respective cams, and the bar-engaging stops of the frame ring, being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view on the line 11-l1 of Fig. 2. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are detail views, and Fig. 17 indicates a simple product of my improved mechanism.

In Fig. 1 the knitting needles of an ordi nary circular knitting machine are indicated at 2, the usual rotary cam cylinder at 3,.

and a. pattern chain such as is frequently employed, at 4.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913. Serial No. 698,360.

My improved mechanism is carried on the main frame of the machine, as indicated, by means of suitable vertical brackets. 5 and 6 re-- pcctivclv; and the required motions are derived from thc cam cylinder by contact of an ordinary part 7 thereof with a depending 'lorlwd-arm 8 of my attached mechanism, and from the pattern chain a through a suitable lug-engaging lcvcr 9, as hereinafter fully described. attached mechanism arc the thread fingers 10. 10. and the general purpose of my improved mechanism is to provide for passing these lingers between needles on opposite sides of the needle cylinder. and for imparting a regulated swinging mtfl'tfll'ltllt to them, so as to engage the threads carried thereby upon any determined numbcr of needles and thereby work into the opposite sides of the fabric which is being knitted, the desired clock ornamentation.

My clocking mechanism is mounted, as shown, upon a frame-ring 15. which is provided with a hinge-arm 16 pivoted to one of the standards at 17. and with an oppositely extending arm 18 adapted to seat upon the other standard 6 when the mechanism is in normal working position over the needle cylinder. A counterbalance weight 19 is arranged to automatically raise the hinged frame-ring and its attached mechanism out of working position when a locking latch 20 is released.

The forked arm 8 which is engaged by the cam cylinder of the machine, is attached to acam-ring 25 which is rotatably carried upon a circular ledge 29011 the interior of the frame-ring 15. For'ctmvenient assembling, this cam-ring is built up of separately formed parts though operated as a single device, as indicated in Fig. 3; the'top camsegment 26 being fixed to the upper surface of the main ring portion 25. and the bot-tom cam ring 27, to which the forked arm 8 is secured. being fixed to the lower surface of thesamc. The whole device turns freely in the frame-ring 15. the circular inner wall of which completes the top cam face 526; and the top and bottom can'l-faces. 26 and 27 (Fig. 10), contact respectively with the ends of the thread-carrier bars 35 and 36 which are arranged at right-angles and one above the other, within the cam-ring The longitudinal movement of the main The main elements of the angled movement of the bar 36 effects thread-carrier bar 35 is arranged to carry the thread-fingers 10, 10, in and out between the knitting needles 2; while the rigliltt e swing of the fingers for engaging the threads thereof upon the needles. The means for controlling these movements and for regulating the extent'of the needle-engaging swing will now be described.

Though the cam-ring device 25-2 6- 27, is freely rotated in the fixed frame-ring 15, it carries upon an interiorcircular ledge 29 thereof, an inner non-rotating ring 45 in which the bars 35 and 36 are held. The lower retaining plate 46 of this inner ring (see Figs. 6 and 9) is removably secured to it, beneath the lower bar 86; which latter is moved diametrally in recessed ways 47, 47 (Fig. 8), by contact of its ends with the rotary cam-face 27 The upper bar 35 is moved diametrally, at right-angles to bar 36, in similar recessed ways 48, 48 (Fig. 7), by contact of its ends with'the rotary cam-face 26 said ends being-also arranged to engage succebsiv'ely, during the latter part of the reverse moyements, in notches 51, 51 of oppositely' a'rfr anged locking plates 52, 52 on the fr me-aging, 15. This engagement of the bar 36 iir one or other of the fixed locking plates 52, serves to at all times prevent the inner ring 45 from partaking of the rotary movement of the cam-ring 25 on which it is supported, the bar being also engaged in the recessed ways 48 of the ring as previously described. vAs already stated, the reverse movements of the bar 35 carry the thread fingers 10, 10 in and out between the needles.

These fingers however are-not directly secured to the'bar 35, but are respectively fixed to the free ends of thread-arms 60, 60 which have a common pivotal connection 61 to said bar; and these pivoted arms are connected to the other cam-operated bar 36, by means of springs 62, 62, 62, 62 as shown, so that the movement of saidbar 36 at rightangles to that of bar 35 will exert a pull upon said pivoted arms, through the springs 62, which tends to swing the fingers crosswise of the needles and of the bar 35; such swing being adapted to engage the threads upon certain of the needles preliminary to each reversal of the movement of the bar 35.

The extent of this swing, and the corre-' sponding number of needles engaged by the thread at eachv inward movement of the thread-fingers, is controlled by the pattern-.

chain 4 through a stop mechanism for said pivoted threadarms which is carried by the non-rotating inner ring 45. I

The swing of the pivoted thread-arms 60 crosswise of the bar 85, is directly controlled by a pair of vertically slidable stops 70, the

forked ends of which (see Fig. 14) may be shaped as required to effect any desired variat'on of the swing by correspondingly away from the knitting ma brackets 71, 71.

varying 'the vertical position of the stop relative to the plane in which the threadarms swing.

The stop mechanism, as shown, is carried upon the non-rotating inner-ring 45, upon the upper face ofwhich are secured vertical In these brackets is mounted a shaft 72 having fixed thereto a pair of stepped adjusting-cams 73, 73, the faces of which contact with shoulders 74 on the stops to hold the latter in more orless lowered position against the action of liftin springs 75. The stops are vertically guided in ways 76 formed in the ring 45 (see Fig. 7). One end of the shaft 72 is provided with a star wheel 80, and in one of the shaft brackets is mounted a spring-pressed locking pin 88 which engages recesses in the shaft corresponding with the'teeth of. said wheel. The latter is turned by the operating cam-ring 25, as determined by the pattern chain 4, to vary the position of the stops as desired for. successive courses; and this turning of the star wheel 80 and stop-operating shaft 72, is effected by means of a toothengaging pin or pins 81 mounted in. a vertical pinbracket 82 carried by the cam-ring 25; said pins being spring-retracted horizontally in their bearing lugs 83 on said bracket, so as to normally hold their inner ends in a path outside of the star wheel, but being forcibly moved inward to engage and turn said wheel, by means controlled by the pattern chain 4. As shown, two pins 81 are provided, arranged one above the otherso as to engage the star wheel .teeth respectively above and below its center andthus permit of its being turned either backward or forward. The projection of the pins to engage the star wheel is effected by a contacting'disk 85, which is mounted in the frame-ring arm 16 so as to be moved vertically by a lever 9 which swings with the lever 9 as determined by lugs 86, 87 on the pattern chain 4; these lugs being adapted to raise it into the path of either the lower or upper pin 81 as desired, so that the desired pin will be projected inwardly as they are carried past the disk with the rotary cam-ring 25.. When thus projected the pin 81 is in each case held by a spring-depressed latch 90 which descends into a notch91 of the pin, and is so held until said latch is raised by contact of its depending stem 90 with a cam-lever 92.

- This lever 92, which is pivoted'to the framering arm 16 adjacent the disk 85, is swung int-o the path of the latch stems 90 by the descent of said disk into its inoperative position (Figs. land 2), but is moved out ofthis path by a spring 93 whenever the disk is raised by a pattern-chain lug.-

The clocking threads are suitably guided from their bobbins to the fingers 10.

The entire attachment may be thrown chine by raising;-

Cit

,etrally mounted Within said ca rn right-angles to each menace the pivoted. frame-ring 15, but when the latter is lowered to operative position as showm the rotation of the cam cylinder 3 ot" the machine carries with it the cain-ring of the attachment, and the cam faces 26 27 of said ring contact With the ends of the thread-carrier bars 35, 36 so as to impart to the latter, fixed reciprocating movements at right angles to each other. Each movement of the main bar carries the lingers be tween adjacent needles of the needle cylinder, one inwardly and the other outwardly. 'l he forked ends of the stops T0 are so shaped that; when the latter are fully lowered by a eorrespondimp,- setting of the cams 73, on shaft 72, the pivoted finger arms on har will he held thereby so as to he unaflected by the crosswise movementof the other bar 36, which movement in such case merely varies the tension of the springs 62 without swine;- ing the fingers so as to engage their threads upon any needle; but when said stops "('0 are more or less raised, by determined operation of the shaft 72 as described, a corresponding swing of the fingers will be edected h the movement of the bar 36 before the move ment of the her 35 returns the lingers hetween other needles, so that the clocking threads will be Worked upon the fabric hy the engaged needles. The relative length and movement cat the bar 35 is such that While one end or other thereol is always ongaged in the fixed locking plates 52 so to prevent rotation of the inner-ring to with the cumming 25 required, there will he sullicient space between each end succes si'vely, and the adjacent fined plates 52, to permit the vertical bracket 8.2 of the rotary earn-ring 25 to Fig. 1? shows ta product With clock ores-- inentation of simple design which it will he noticed, is so arranged to satisfactorily clear the heel point 100 ot the stocking in proceeding continuously along the sides of the leg and foot, portions, It is merely effect this purpose that certain parts the attachment are shown as out oil center Eit'til'll cien'tly to keep clear of that halt of the needles which is used in the heel,

The specific construction shown and do scribed may obviously he inodilied Without departing from the inventioin and the eloclr or stripe embroidery provided for may he readily varied in design and location What I claim is 1, it clocking; attachment tor circ knitting machines comprisin r a tired frame ring, rotary catering; sup; irted thereby and cooperating threautinggger hat" and ntirely operated lay the latter to Ely carry the thread at e out the needles A cloclti'n each oth knitting machines comprising a fixed framering, a rotary cam-ring supported thereby, a non-rotatable inner-ring, and cooperating thread-finger bars guided in said inner-ring at right-angles to each other and reciprocatively operated by said cam-ring to respectively carry the thread between and crosswise of the needles substantially as set forth.

3. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a fixed framering, a rotary cain ring supported thereby, an inner-ring supported by said rotary ca1nring, and cooperating threadfinger hare guided in said innenring; at right angles to each other and reciprocatively operated by said CfiInllD ftf to respectively carry the thread between and crosswise oi the needles, and fixed locking-devices adapted to be re spectively engaged by the ends of one of said reciprocstingbars so as to prevent; rotation of said inner-ring.

4-. In a clocking attachment :tor circular knitting machines comprising; a tired trams ring" and a rotary cam-ring; threaddinger l)ft1'S diametrally mounted within said camring at right-angles to each other and adapted to he reciprocatively operated by the latter, and threadfinger arms carried by one off reciprocating hare and able of lateral movement thereon; said arms being operatively connected to the other bar.

in a clocking attachment "for circular lfi'llttl nes comprising a fin .rame ring a rotary cam-ring; threi bars d caniring at ri angles to each other and adapt e to he ci roeatively operated by the lat ten threadhnpget" arms carried hr one of said reciprocatinn hairs and capable of lateral nioreinent thereon spring; connections between said arms and the other oar and stop deri tor limitii'ie; the lateral more rnent ol attachment tor circular rising" a tired trams-- rotary courting: threaddine'er all i mounted withi gi said came'les to each other and adopt ntirely operated he the lat arms carried l v one of hare and capahle oi lot i that-coin spring; on between said arms and A1119; at right-en d to he lies o idjustahle step devices for v: limitrm movement at inn; a-t' unee con: p 5r cam-tin t a non-rotata n hare N guided lOO It ltl vices for engagin said arms, a cam shaft for adjusting sai stop devices, and, means carried by said rotary camming for intermittently turning said cam shaft.

8. In a clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a fixed framering, a rotary cam-ring, a non-rotatable inner ring, thread-finger bars Teciprocatively guided in said inner-Tin at right-angles to each other, and lateralfy movable threadfinger arms carried by one of said reciprocating bars and having spring connections to the other oar; vertically movable stop devices for engagin said arms, a cam shaft for adjusting saic devices, an adjustablepin mechanism carried by said rotary camring for operating said shaft and pin-adjusting means adapted to be thrown into or out of the path of said pin mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK W. ROBINSON.

Witnesses D. M; STEWART, W, G. STEWART. 

